phone english blogB1 – Intermediate
The UN writes a report about the world’s population. The UN predicts that the number of people will grow in the future.
Read and watch the video about the global population.
https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/global-population-in-2100-level-1/
Discussion Questions:
1. What is your own prediction on the world’s population?
2. What are the reasons the population will increase, decrease, or stop growing?
3. Talk about the population of your country.
B1 – Intermediate
In America, health companies must now tell patients how much their health care costs before anything. This way, patients can find places which would cost them the least.
Read and watch the video about some health care changes in the US.
https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/health-care-changes-level-1/
Discussion Questions:
1. What is your opinion on this executive order?
2. What are some health care changes you’ve had in your country recently?
3. What changes do you hope to see soon?
4. How is health care like in your country?
B2 – Upper Intermediate
In cities, architects purposely design uncomfortable benches. Defensive architecture is an urban design trend in which public spaces are constructed or altered to prevent people from using them in undesirable ways. It can come in the form of spiked or sloped benches to block homeless people from using them as a place to sleep. Critics argue that such measures reinforce social divisions and create problems for all members of the public, especially seniors, children, and people with disabilities.
Is it driving people and nature out of the cities?
Watch the video and be able to discuss the questions that follow:
Discussion Questions:
1. Is defensive architecture visible where you live?
2. Do you think it’s hostile? What do you think about it?
3. Cite some advantages and disadvantages of defensive architecture.
4. How are homeless people treated in your country?
5. What does your government do to help them?
B1 – Intermediate
Nowadays, hidden cameras are a problem everywhere. A family in New Zealand had a first-hand experience with one.
Read the full article and be ready to answer the questions that follow.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1904/190411-hidden-camera-1.html
Discussion Questions:
1. What was your reaction to what happened to this family? How do you think you would feel if this happened to you?
2. What do you think about how Airbnb handled the man’s complaint?
3. Have you heard of a similar story that happened in your country?
4. What should be the punishment for people caught secretly filming others?
5. How can we avoid being filmed without our consent?
C1 – Advanced
The 2019 Spanish general election is just around the corner. Are you thinking of not exercising your right of suffrage? Then, think again. Here’s why you should vote.
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you agree with the video?
2. What is your guiding principle for voting and choosing a leader?
3. In Spain, are there sanctions for failing to vote?
4. Give other reasons why we should vote.
5. Can you give reasons why we should not vote?
C1 – Advanced
Access to health care may vary across nations, communities and individuals. It is generally influenced by social and economic situations as well as health policies. Healthcare systems are established with the primary goal of meeting the health needs of targeted populations. Having an efficient health care system contributes to the country’s economy and development.
But, what really are the benefits and possible drawbacks of a government-run healthcare?
Discussion Questions:
1. What do you think about the health care system in your country?
2. What are the health care problems in your country?
3. Is your country’s health care system in need of reform?
4. Which is better, private or public health care?
B1 – Intermediate
Some school children are going on strikes because they are unhappy. They think their countries are not doing so much about the problems with climate change.
Read more about student activism below:
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1902/190226-school-strike-for-climate-1.html
Discussion Questions:
1. What are your thoughts on students going on strikes?
2. “Australia’s leader called for more learning in schools and less activism.” What is your opinion on this?
3. Have you ever joined a strike or protest? What were you fighting for?
C1 – Advanced
Racial discrimination has been a problem all over the word. Some races are treated unfairly and do not feel that racial equality has been achieved in terms of wealth. This wealth gap shows that mostly white household owns more wealth more than its black and Latino counterparts in their total assets.
Watch the video to learn more about America’s racial wealth gap.
Discussion Questions:
1. Explain the role banks played in minorities losing their wealth.
2. What is your opinion on this topic?
3. Do you think race is the problem of wealth division?
4. Describe the division of wealth in your country? How does inequality affect the country as a whole?
5. What can we do about racial wealth inequality?
B2 – Upper Intermediate
For the most of us, chocolate is a guilty pleasure. We probably think we shouldn’t have it but why not reward ourselves after a long, tiring day? Yet for thousands of children in the cocoa fields of West Africa, chocolate is not a source of pleasure but of a hard and hazardous work. Children working in the cocoa farm are victims of trafficking or slavery. They are kept out of school because their families need their help in the farms and 12-hour workdays make it impossible for them to attend school.
Watch the short video clip to know the bitter truth behind chocolate production.
Discussion Questions:
B2 – Upper Intermediate
Gender pay gap or gender wage gap is the average difference between the remuneration for men and women who are working. Women are generally paid less than men.Though gender pay gap for women won’t close until 2069, it seems like there’s an opposite problem in the modeling industry, with the boys taking home fairly less than the ladies.
Read the article below about gender pay gap issue in the modeling industry.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1609/160930-models.html
Discussion Questions: